New engineering developments offer opportunities to develop smart
wheelchair assistive
technology that can improve the lives of
many people who use wheelchairs. In our work, we are designing
tomorrow's intelligent wheelchairs: we are
developing a
voice-commandable intelligent wheelchair that is aware of its
surroundings so that it can assist its user in a variety of tasks.

The goal of this smart wheelchair project is to enhance an ordinary
powered
wheelchair using sensors
to perceive the wheelchair's surroundings, a speech interface to interpret commands, a wireless device for room-level location determination, and motor-control software to effect the wheelchair's motion.

The robotic wheelchair learns the layout of its environment (hospital, rehabilitation center, home, etc.) through a narrated, guided tour given by the user or the user's caregivers. Subsequently, the wheelchair can move to any previously-named location under voice command (e.g., "Take me to the cafeteria"). This technology is appropriate for people who have lost mobility due to brain injury or the loss of limbs, but who retain speech. The technology can also enhance safety for users who use ordinary joystick-controlled powered wheelchairs, by preventing collisions with walls, fixed objects, furniture and other people.

We envision that a voice-commandable wheelchair could improve the
quality of life and safety of tens of thousands of users. Moreover,
considerable health improvements and cost savings could accrue through
the reduction or elimination of collision-induced injuries such as
wounds and broken limbs. We are currently working closely with at The Boston
Home,
a specialized-care residence for adults with multiple sclerosis and
other progressive neurological conditions. Our efforts are inspired and
motivated by the insights, feedback, and needs of The Boston Home's
residents,
staff, and
family members.

Our team of faculty,
students, and researchers come from several departments (Aeronautics
and Astronautics; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;
Engineering Systems Division) and laboratories (the Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the MIT AgeLab) from
across MIT. Our efforts in developing this intelligent wheelchair span
multiple domains, including robotics, artificial intelligence, machine
learning,
human computer interaction and user interface
design, speech recognition systems, and the role of technology for
people with disabilities and people who are getting older.